Peter dodd and james henry thomas



(No Modem P. DOD'D & J. HfTHQMAS.

L AUTOMATIC HORSE FEEDER. No 378,909 Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

l/vvf waowo N. PEYkRs, Fhnkrhmognphur. Washlnglon, n. a

Nrrnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

PETER DODD AND JAMES HENRY TETOMAS, OF NEWARK, NFAV J ERSEY; SAID THOMAS ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPHINE THOMAS, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC HORSE-FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,909, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed September 24, 1887. Serial No. 2505M.

.T aZZ whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, PETER Donn and JAMES HENRY THOMAS, citizens of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefullmprovement in Automatic Horse-Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in automatic horse-feeders, and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, which will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a releasing-lever, in connection with the alarm mechanism of a clock, whereby the hinged bottom of a feed box or chute may be released and allowed to swing downward to permit the grain to pass out into the feedtrough of the animal.

The secondaryobject of our invention is to provide an automatic feeding device for horses and other animals, the parts of which are simple and effective in their construction and operation, strong and durable, and. positive and reliable in their action and ultimate result.

We attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, and in which Figure l is a perspective View of our improved device, showing a feed-box with hinged bottom door open in dotted lines, a supporting casting or bracket, and a portion of theoperating-lever. Fig. 2 is'a similar view looking from the rear side. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the casting B. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing the recess in the hinged door.

A indicates a feed box or chute, which is secured in a proper position relatively to the feed-trough of the animal, and is provided with a bottom hinged door, A, which is formed with a small recess, a, in its unhinged edge for the reception of the lower end of the lever.

B indicates a curved-shell casting having an arm, I), which is secured to the side of the feedbox, and with a rear annular ring, I), and recesses If in its front edge. This casting is adapted to support an ordinary alarm-clock, 50 O, the feet 0 of which enter the recesses b, and

(No model.)

the back thereof rests against the annular ring I). The winding and setting attachments on the rear of the clock are readily accessible through the said ring I); but for more convenient winding and setting of the clock a rod,c, is secured to the top of the clock for removing the same, having a ring, 0 attached to the top thereof. This rod 0 is virtually the alarm-bell standard, which bell is removed in this instance, so as to avoid frightening the animals. The alarm-striker c is allowed to play backward and forward without striking anything, and the only noise produced is the slight whirring sound caused by the uncoiling action of the spring actuating the alarm.

The shaft or spindle S, upon which the alarm-spring is mounted, is extended from the rear side of the clock, and is provided with a cog-wheel or pinion, S, and immediately outside of the pinion S, and integrally formed with the shaft S, is a winding thumb-piece or handle, 8.

In the rear of the casting B, and at the lower portion of the feed-box A, a fulcrum-plate, D, is secured, which is provided with a fulcrum extension or arm, d. The fulcrum-ear d, integrally formed with the lower part of a lever,

D, is secured to the fulcrum-extension d by a bolt, D passing through said parts, and which forms a pivotal connection between the same. The lower end of the lever D is constructed or bent into the form of a hook, d which is adapted to engage with the recess a in the door A to hold the same closed when the alarm mechanism is set. The upper end of the said 8 5 lever D is provided with an arm, D which is formed with a curved rack, (1 on its upper edge.

The clock-alarm mechanism having been set for a certain hour, it is placed in the bracket 0 B in such a manner that the pinion S will engage with the rack d on the upper edge of the arm D at the upper part of the lever D, it be ing understood that the lower curved end of the said lever D has been adjusted in engage- 9 5 ment with the under side of the door A. The feed is then placed in the box A, the bottom door, A, being held closed against the weight thereon by the lower end of the lever. When the feeding-hour, as indicated by the alarmroo dial, arrives, the alarm mechanism is set in motion as in the ordinary alarm-clock, the pinion S revolves, and the lever D, through the rack-arm D is moved in the direction of the arrow, so that the lower end thereof is disen-' gaged from the edge of the door A, which will drop and allow the contents of the feed-box to run into the feeding-trough.

The front recesses for the feet of the clock in the front lower edge of the bracket B are so formed that when the clock is shoved back therein the cog-wheel or pinion S will mesh with the rack d on the arm D". By extending an arm from the lever, running across to other boxes contiguous with and attached to other levers, and with the assistance of spiral springs attached to box and top of the lever, one clock will open several bottoms.

The advantages and conveniences of our device are many and varied. The mechanism may be set to feed at any time desired during the day or night.

Marketmen, truckmen, and others are often delayed in the early morning by waiting until their animals have finished feeding. By using our automatic feeding device the animals are fed at a set hour before they are required for use, and delay thereby prevented. If the animal comes into the stable in a too warm condition to be fed, a little hay may be thrown into the rack and the feed in connection with our automatic device administered later,when his condition will permit him to receive the same without harmful consequences.

Aside from the above advantages, animals may be fed during the day without the attention of any one, with healthful regularity, thereby saving the time and attention of farmhands and others.

Many minor changes in the conslruction and arrangement of the parts of our device might be made and substituted for thoseshown and described without departing from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is- 1. An automatic feeding device comprising a feed-box with a lower hinged door, a lever having a rack-arm, and an alarm-clock having a pinion in connection with the alarm mechanism adapted to engage with the rackarm of the lever, substantially as described.

2. The automatically-operating feed-box, comprising the box proper having the lower hinged door, the lever having the lower curved end and the rack-arm at the upper end thereof, the bracketeasting constructed as set forth, and the clock supported in said casting and having an alarm mechanism,with one portion of which a pinion is provided which engages with the rack-arm of the lever, substantially .as described.

3. The combination, with the side of the feed-box, of the curved-shell bracket-casting having the front recesses and the rear annular ring adapted to support an alarm-clock, as set forth, and the lever D, fulcrumcd to said box, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the extended shaft S, of the clock-alarm mechanism having the pinion S thereon, and the integral thumb-piece, and the lever D, carrying a rack-arm on its upper end to engage with the pinion S, and having its lower end curved, as set forth, wherebya door is held in a closed position and released when desired, substantially as described.

5. Anautomaticfeed-box comprisingthebox proper having a hinged door at its lower end provided with a recess, a, the bracket-casting B, the alarm-clock 0, having the extended shaft S and pinion S, and the lever D, having the lower curved end and provided with the upper rack-arm fulcrumcd on the plate I), substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

PETER DODD. JAMES HENRY THOMAS.

Witnesses:

S. A. SMITH, J. AUSTIN WILLLuIs. 

